Beautiful Twilight
by Nazrath
Summary: Previously a oneshot now a multi-chapter fic. Due to Kanda's "mistake", Allen "died" in their final year of high school. But seven years later, a new online sensation named "Black Order" is taking the world by storm. But something sinister is lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to pounce. Can Kanda move forward? And who exactly is Black Order? Yullen.
1. Why did he do this?

**A/N: (Dated 18 May 2016) I first thought to make it a oneshot but the story kind of _begged_ to continue so there you go...I will remove the CHARACTER DEATH alert and Tragedy from the genre as this fic aims to be an angsty drama/romance featuring our favourite Yullen.**

 **Kanda will seem to be slightly OOC in the initial chapters but he will come around soon.**

 **Happy reading...and _please please_ review!**

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 **A/N:** I had this idea bouncing around so decided to finally pen it down. Character Death alert and a bit OOCness.

Do review!

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 _Love…is an amazing feeling. A torture so beautiful, it leaves one gasping for more in its wake. It is pain, it is pleasure...and a lot of things which perhaps no word can describe. Lucky are those who get to experience this love, and stay sane to tell the tale._

*/*/

Allen Walker stared up at the cracked ceiling, his silvery-grey eyes strangely unfocused. He did not care that he was lying on the cold stone floor of the school gym's shower room, nor did he bother to lift his arm and turn the faucet close. The bucket near his head had been overflowing for perhaps the last twenty minutes—maybe an hour—but the usually environment-conscious eighteen-year-old did not bother. The water seeped into his hair, darkening his stark white hair into multiple shades of grey. It soaked his uniform thoroughly, and the cold was eating away his body heat.

But he did not care.

Salty tears mixed with the water that was flooding his cubicle, tears that streamed from his eyes with reckless abandon. He was not hiccoughing or crying like the over-dramatic scenes one saw in the movies. It seemed as if his heart had enough and the emotions were overflowing.

School was over a long time back, the room now slowly darkening as the sunset gave way to twilight. He should go home.

Home? A harsh laugh escaped his lips, the only sound since the afternoon. It was just a shoebox with a tiny window—a place to crash for the night. Home is the place where one belonged. And Allen Walker knew now that he did not belong anywhere.

He sat up slowly, his wet hair sticking to his scalp and neck. He fingered a strand, a sad smile on his lips. He was a freak of nature, of course he did not belong. He was naïve and stupid enough to believe that someone liked him, _loved_ him.

When his own birth parents kicked him out of the house, who on _earth_ would _love him_?

He stood up shakily, holding on to the rickety door for balance. He turned the faucet close and opened the door. Only to see himself reflected in the mirror on the opposite wall.

A lanky high-schooler clad in a white shirt, black pants and a black vest. With a shock of white hair, pale silvery-grey eyes, alabaster complexion. With the exception of his left hand, which was heavily scarred courtesy of being the lone survivor of the fire that engulfed his orphanage seven years ago. A thin scar ran down the left side of his face, from his forehead to his chin. A remnant of a street-fight which went ugly.

He should be a circus exhibit, not a student in a school for normal people.

The owner of the orphanage, a man named Tiedoll, was the one who enrolled him in to the Nietzsche Academy. Allen had always been an exceptional student, and the genial man did not want his talents to go waste. The principal of Nietzsche, a Chinese man named Komui Lee, welcomed Allen with open arms and agreed to give him the Merit Scholarship if he maintained his grades all through high school.

Allen remembered the happiness he felt that day—it was as if he was offered a path to heaven. The first year in middle school had been okay—Komui Lee's sister Lenalee Lee was his classmate and she soon became his friend. Well, his only friend since the others refused to be associated with "a lower-class orphan freak". But Tiedoll was a renowned man, a famous painter whose paintings were legendary. And so, being Tiedoll's ward gave him some sort of protection.

During his final year in middle school, all hell broke loose.

Tiedoll had been battling cancer for years, but he then finally succumbed to the disease. And if that was not enough a shock, Komui Lee was thrown off the position of principal by Nietzsche's governing board as the former had made some strict arrangements which weren't liked by the parents of the "high-and-mighty" kids. It was painful to say goodbye to Lenalee, who had become the closest confidante he ever had. The Lees had become more like a family he never had, and suddenly they were snatched away from him.

The new principal, needless to say, was a puppet of the governing council. He rolled back all the rules Komui had set, making the school a playground of the rich and famous. Allen's scholarship got more clauses added to it—now he had to stay within the top three positions in every subject in order for the scholarship to continue.

Allen gritted his teeth at the announcement but he knew he was powerless. He could not do anything; except studying.

High school became hell for him—those students who refrained from picking on him due to Tiedoll and Komui now made Allen their punching bag. The worst of them were Tyki Mikk and Road Kamelot—they left no stone unturned to make his life a living nightmare.

From sabotaging his locker to tearing his assignments to ambushing him on his way home, Allen had to endure all sorts of bullying. Tiedoll's inheritance too was snatched away from him by his business associates on the grounds that Allen Walker had not been adopted by the man and hence had no legal entitlement to his property.

Then one day, the impossible happened. Road Kamelot had ambushed Allen in the school backyard and was about to use him as a punching bag when she was stopped by someone.

Allen had never seen anyone so beautiful as the person who stood before him.

He was taller than him by at least a head, pale skin, cobalt eyes on a delicately angular face, long black hair tied in a ponytail.

"Yuu Kanda, do you realise what you are doing?" Road simpered dangerously, her violet eyes flashing.

"Road Kamelot, do _you_ realise what _you_ are doing?" Yuu Kanda said, gripping her hand more tightly. Road snatched her arm back, giving him another glare before bouncing away.

The ones holding Allen dropped him on the ground as they followed her.

Allen looked up at him. He had never seen him before.

Yuu Kanda offered him a hand and helped him stand up.

"Kanda. Transfer student." He said in a manner of introduction.

"Allen Walker," he replied.

Since that day, Kanda never left his side. The taller boy was always with him and slowly, Allen realised that he felt something more than friendship for Kanda.

Three months after that fateful meeting when the duo were walking down the footpath after school, Allen kissed him on his lips. His conscience tried to berate him for his actions but his body for once. Kanda had been shocked for a couple of moments, but he kissed back. Since that day, Allen felt his old skip return in his step. Sure, he got the stares and murmurs but he did not care.

He had Kanda.

*/*/

The two years passed in bliss. Allen looked forward to school now, he had Kanda to meet with. Those secret kisses in the locker room, sudden brushes of hand, lingering touches…Allen committed them all to memory. Tyki and Road had stopped bothering him, and this relaxed mood made him excel in his classes. Already he had received acknowledgement of admission from the best universities in the country, and Komui was glad.

Allen kept in touch with the Lees through email, and he was glad to realise that Lenalee wanted to opt for the same university as him. Kanda too had applied for the same and he would be receiving confirmation any minute now.

Lenalee was dying to meet the man who stole her "little brother's" heart away. And Allen knew she would like him.

Four months till graduation. Allen thought he could not have been any happier than this.

But Gods, he was so wrong

*/*/

Allen was walking towards the gym to retrieve his bag when he heard voices. He frowned, school was closed so what were people doing here? He was allowed because he was the gym monitor for the week.

He decided to peek in—newspapers had been rife with reports about school break-ins. If it was someone suspicious, he would go and call the police.

He opened the door a slight crack.

And what he saw made him freeze with disbelief.

He saw Kanda. And Tyki Mikk, Road, and the twins Jasdero and Devitto. And they were all laughing together.

"You got him hook, line and sinker, bud," Tyki chortled, clapping Kanda on the back. "I mean, if I'd not known before, I'd have sworn that you'd fallen for that freak."

Kanda snorted. "As if…as if his hair wasn't enough, his arm's so creepy. Just looking at it gives me the creeps."

Road guffawed at the statement. "So when's the big announcement? Make it soon, I can't wait anymore!"

Tyki patted Road's head. "All in time, cousin mine."

"I've asked that freak out to the school festival. The bigger the crowd, the better it would be. After all, I've spent two years getting the show ready," Kanda said, that softness which Allen had grown to associate with him missing.

Allen felt his knees give way as he flopped to the floor.

No…this cannot be happening…it's all a bad dream…

The door was yanked open by Kanda. Allen thought he saw shock in those cobalt orbs but as he blinked, a wicked smirk graced his face.

"Aww damn, there goes my plan," he smirked mirthlessly. He dragged up Allen's collar to make him stand.

Road clapped with delight, the twins following suit.

"This is the best expression ever!" she squealed.

"Seriously, freak…you didn't think he _loved_ you, did you?" Tyki laughed, his amber eyes gleaming.

Allen heard them speak, but he had eyes only for the man who held his collar. He searched those cobalt orbs for some hint, some piece of solace but all he found was the look that was mirrored in Tyki and Road's faces.

Contempt. Scorn. Hatred.

 _Why…Kanda…_

Kanda dropped him, said something to the others and walked out of the room, leaving Allen alone.

*/*/

Allen rubbed his hand over the scar on his face.

Tyki was right; he should have known.

Allen walked out of the shower room, leaving a small river in his wake. He was about to step out into the corridor when he heard gunshots.

 _What the…_

Allen rubbed his face clean of the salty streaks, slapping himself to get the world into focus. He could wallow in self-grief later, but now someone was in danger.

He ran towards the sound, his fingers dialling the emergency number on his cellphone.

" _Devisham City Police Department."_

"Shooting in Nietzsche Academy. Please help!"

" _Please stay in a secured location. Help is on your way."_

Allen stuffed the phone into his pocket as he climbed down the steps. He heard the gunshots again—they seemed to come from the football field.

Night had already fallen, leaving the only source of light to be the street lamps and the path guiding lights of the school. Allen could make out a couple of figures in the field, a group huddled together while a lone figure stood, most probably facing them. Probably the man with the gun.

Another gun shot and an unearthly scream filled the air.

 _Seemed like a girl_.

Allen rushed forward and using the element of surprise crashed into the gunman, making his shot go wide. A resonating clag informed him that the bullet it the metal goalpost.

"Stop!" Allen huffed, shivering in the cold night air.

"Hey you little…" the gunman cursed, trying to shake him off.

"RUN!" Allen yelled.

Suddenly, the entire football field was bathed in light; someone must have switched on the floodlights.

Allen thought he saw a security personnel rush back into the cabin.

 _Stupid fool, where does he think he's going?_

"Allen?"

Allen could recognise that voice anywhere, anytime.

He looked at the ones who standing opposite him.

It was Kanda. Along with Tyki and Road. And it seemed Road was shot in her leg which was currently bleeding heavily.

"I've called for the police," Allen grunted, maintaining his grip around the gunman's midsection. "Take her and run!"

Kanda looked flabbergasted.

"I…"

"RUN!" Allen yelled again.

Tyki looked in bewilderment at the white-haired boy, unable to comprehend the current situation.

The gunman wrenched Allen off his body and threw him away. He then pointed the gun at Kanda.

"You! You filthy pieces of shit! Because of you, I'd to sell my house! My family is on the streets, my daughter sleeps hungry…you'll DIE. TODAY!"

Allen saw him pull the trigger. And again, his body bypassed the commands of his brain.

*/*/

Yuu Kanda was one of the members of the so-called aristocratic privileged class. His father was the owner of the famous Flazenmich line of cutlery while his mother was a renowned fashion designer. He had lived in Japan all his life before his father decided to let him transfer to London and finish his high-school. Tyki Mikk was his childhood friend and Kanda was in a way glad to meet him again.

And when Tyki told him about the Allen plan, he was more than eager to participate. Staying under his parents watchful eye meant he had to always toe the line but now, he could have a bit of fun, right?

The boy was stupid, and naïve to boot. He couldn't believe how easily Allen believed his honeyed words—that adoration that shone in his silver eyes never failed to amuse him. He waited for the right opportunity to break this illusion—it's been ages since he last bullied someone.

But that day when the boy kissed him, Kanda felt something awaken in him.

He never why he kissed back—now, he wasn't _falling_ for that midget, right?

Now his heart started warring with his brain, his conscience battled against common sense. What was happening to him?

He decided to end the game; the fun had suddenly disappeared. He wondered whether he had gone too far this time.

But when he saw Allen outside the gym door, he realised that the limit was a faint line on the horizon. The boy who was standing before him now was a broken shell. And Kanda did not need a genius to tell him who made Allen this way.

He had to get out of that room…he couldn't face Allen. He could not look into those haunting silvery-grey eyes.

No, he had to get away.

The others followed him, Tyki and Road still chortling.

And that's when they encountered the gunman.

He winced as one of the shots hit Road in the leg. He had to do something…anything.

That's when he saw someone push the perpetrator off balance.

When the floodlights came alive, he realised it was Allen. He faintly recognised the perpetrator as the man who was personally kicked out by his father a couple of weeks ago. The man was caught selling the latest designs to a rival company.

Allen was yelling something but Kanda failed to register it. All he could see was that Allen was sopping wet and his eyes were bloodshot.

He had been crying.

The faint tell-tale blush on his cheeks indicated that he was slightly feverish as well.

 _And it's my fault…_

"RUN!" Allen yelled.

 _And leave you alone…_

The man threw Allen on to the ground and trained the gun on him.

"DIE! TODAY!"

Kanda knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to run. He saw Allen look at him, and then at the gunman. And something indescribable came in his face.

Kanda had a sudden sense of foreboding.

 _No…don't…_

The gunshot seemed more thundering than the rest.

Kanda waited for it, but the pain did not come. Only he felt something warm splash on his face. He opened the eyes he hadn't realised he had closed.

Allen stood in front of him, his arms stretched wide. He turned to face him and before he could say anything, he dropped backwards. Kanda hurried forward, breaking his fall with his arms.

"Allen… _why?_ "

"I loved the Kanda who protected me for the last two years. And there is always some madness in love," Allen coughed, spitting blood. "But, there is also always some reason in madness."

"Please…don't talk…" Kanda said, panic setting in. _Allen cannot die…Allen cannot die!_

"I don't why you did what you did, Kanda," Allen coughed again. The bullet wound on his left side looked nasty, bathing both of them with an eerie red. "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."

"I'm so sorry…" Kanda whispered. Faint sirens could be heard now. He heard some scuffles and shouts—the gunman must have been caught. But he did not care. All he wanted was to see the boy in his arms walk again.

"I didn't mean this to happen…it was a joke at first…but I don't know how…I fell in love with you, Allen Walker…"

Allen smiled tiredly, but Kanda knew he didn't believe him. He hugged him, cradling his head gently. He kissed his lips, trying not think how cold they were.

"Kanda…I…I…loved you…."

Those silvery-grey eyes closed, and Kanda knew he wouldn't be seeing them again.

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 **A/N:** I might extend this story but I can't give any promises at the moment. But till then, it's a one-shot.

Review...please! :)

 **UPDATE: 18 MAY 2016: It is a multi-chapter fic now, so stay tuned!**


	2. Black Order

**A/N:** I am making no promises about the update schedule as my life is scary busy these days. But since I had the foresight of planning out the future chapters this time, I don't think I'll be leaving this midway.

Kanda's slightly OOC but will get better as we progress.

Reviews are loved!

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 **CHAPTER 02: BLACK ORDER**

Yuu Kanda stood inside the lobby of the Crown Corporation, feeling slightly nervous. After all, it _was_ his first job interview.

He looked around, trying to contain his awe at the sheer grandeur of the place. The lobby was at least four stories high, and could easily contain the entire dorm building of his college.

"Can I help you?"

Kanda jumped slightly at the voice, which seemed to come from around his chest. He looked down to find a woman peer curiously at him. She had thick, long black hair tied into a messy plait down her back, dark green eyes and full crimson lips. Her complexion was healthily tanned and her physique looked athletic. Her entire personality gave off an aura of someone who loved being outdoors. She was clad in a simple black blouse and skirt and her name tag informed Kanda that she was Arise Kanzaki, Secretary.

"You look new…you for the interview?" Arise Kanzaki asked.

Kanda nodded.

She offered her hand. "I am Arise Kanzaki, as you can read from my name tag and it's not _arise_ , it's A-reese. And you are?"

"Yuu Kanda," Kanda answered, shaking her hand.

"The director will prefer to interview each candidate personally. You are supposed to go to the eighteenth floor for your document verification and then proceed to the twenty-third floor for the interview. Good luck!" And with that, Arise Kanzaki skipped away, leaving behind a bemused Kanda.

 _Eighteenth floor...okay. Let's get this show on the road._

Clad in a dark blue business suit with his long hair tied in his usual style, he cut a striking figure in the vicinity. He knew girls were giving him the googly eyes but since that fateful day, he had stopped caring.

Seven years had passed since Allen died in his arms. The last time he saw him was when the paramedics loaded him in the ambulance. Two hours later, he received a call from the hospital informing him of Allen's death.

He never forgave himself for that night. Lenalee Lee, the girl about whom Allen kept talking about, slapped him hard across his face when she rushed back to London a day later. He said nothing.

In fact, he believed he was let off lightly.

None of his classmates grieved over Allen's passing. Some even formed conspiracy theories about how Allen had been a demon and so had been exorcised. Rumours ranged from the possible to the utmost fantasy but Kanda did nothing to correct them.

It did not matter.

Allen was gone.

Tyki and Road tried to comfort him but their words were hollow. It seemed they finally realised how dangerous their stunts were.

Kanda tried to cry, tried to scream, but that dead weight in his chest would not lighten up. It felt as if he was breathing through a pillow. The world had lost its colour, and wherever his eyes went, they searched for that mop of white hair and those kind silvery-grey eyes.

 _How could he have been so horrible?_

Kanda shook his head, trying to regain his focus. Allen's passing changed him. Kanda was no longer the spoilt rich kid—he had decided to forego his ascension into the family business in favour of doing something on his own. Alma, his brother, had pleaded him to reconsider but Kanda was firm.

Perhaps in some long, twisted way, this was the closest he could get to Allen.

*/*/

Lenalee Lee rummaged about in her office, searching for something.

"What'cha searching for, Lady Lee?" came an eternally cheerful voice from the door.

"Not now, Lavi…I'm searching for something important. Go, bug Arise for a change," she said from under the table.

"It wouldn't be _this_ , would it?" Lavi said.

Lenalee peeked above the table and gave a squeal. In Lavi's hand was the black binder she had been searching for the entire morning.

"Reever gave it to me…you gave it to him yesterday for some correction?" he added, walking into the office and placing the binder on the table. Lenalee crawled out from under and sat down on the chair, looking relieved.

"I must have forgotten," she said sheepishly.

Lavi patted the woman lightly on the shoulder before flopping down on the settee.

"Old man Neah's taking the interviews today?" he asked, twirling his key ring around his index finger.

"Yeah…for the position in the Design Department. Quite a lot of applications have been handed in this year."

The past seven years have been good on Lenalee. From the awkward teenager, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman. But those hazel eyes held a sadness that only a well-trained eye could see. Like how Lavi could.

Lavi was a year older than her, though his maturity levels were comparable to that of a toddler. He headed the Design Department, and though he was crazy and eccentric to boot, he was a natural in designing buildings. And Crown's recent success in the architecture field was credited mostly to him. Unlike others who maintained the decorum of the office, Lavi went in and out as he pleased. His bright, unkempt reddish-orange hair was like a beacon in the otherwise monochrome office, and his pirate-style eye-patch, gold hoop earrings, green t-shirt and brown cargoes only added to his wild personality.

Lavi lost his parents when he was four years old. It was a car accident, and he also lost his right eye in that same accident. His grandfather, a librarian, brought him up. Spending his childhood in the huge library coupled with a hunger for learning and an enviable photographic memory made him excel in school. Soon, his remarkable analytical ability earned him a place in a special fast-track school, enabling him to graduate high-school at thirteen and complete his doctorate on building design by twenty-one.

Neah Walker, the multi-billionaire owner of Crown Corp. soon signed him into his design team. Two years after he joined, he was promoted to be the head of the department. Even though he was the youngest employee in the department, people always listened to him. Lavi had that right mix of fun and seriousness in his attitude that made people want to follow him.

When Lenalee joined as the secretary to Human Resource Department Head six months back, he noticed the quiet sadness in her eyes. At first, he thought it was homesickness—after all, London was far away from China. But later when he talked with her, he realised it was something deep.

That was when she told him the story of Allen.

"Walker, huh? Certainly not Old Man Neah's son, eh?" he had joked. Lenalee shook her head. Allen had been an orphan…and besides, Walker was a common name.

Lenalee was a hard worker, and she always pushed herself to perform the best. But whatever that Allen guy was to her, his sudden passing had left a huge hole in her heart. And Lavi wanted to fill it.

There was something about her that made him want to protect her—she was like the tough version of fragile. He could see now why her brother was so overprotective.

"Coffee date today, Lena-lady?" he grinned the roguish way only he could pull off. Lenalee smiled at the redhead, though there was a constriction in it. It felt _wrong_ somehow…she was here, enjoying life while _he_ was dead.

Lavi patted her shoulder.

"If this Allen guy's as nice as you say, I don't think he'll go crazy if you go on a date…I bet he wants you to be happy!"

Lenalee nodded, staring at her shoes. She couldn't lift her head and face that green eye, the eye rumoured to see past people's defences and peer into the soul.

"Okay, Lavi," she sighed. "But for now, I've work!"

"Alright-o, Madam Secretary! Off you go!" Lavi's grin widened as he chugged behind Lenalee like a train, making the woman finally laugh.

*/*/

Kanda sat at the waiting lounge on the twenty-third floor, finally done with the formalities. He was impressed by the quiet efficiency with which the entire process was carried out. There were close to two hundred candidates fighting for three positions in the Design Department, but the document verification was carried out so smoothly that in no time, he found himself riding an elevator to the interview floor.

Now that he looked around in the lounge, he realised that he was perhaps the youngest among the candidates.

Well, he just cleared graduate school while the others seemed to have at least five years of experience under their belts. He looked through his CV again in an attempt to calm himself down.

He had retained the top position in the class all through his majors to masters, apart from winning major design competitions and paper presentations. In fact, his binder was quite thick and could rival the more experienced candidates around.

And besides, the director was known to prefer young blood with an eccentric bent of mind, someone who could work with the legendary Lavi Buchmann, the most sought after architect in the world.

Kanda clenched his fingers into fists—no, he couldn't afford to get jittery now. It was perhaps the biggest opportunity he would ever get.

First interview or not, he _had_ to give his best shot.

"Mr. Kanda!"

Kanda stopped his internal monologue as he focused on the one who called his name…and she was standing right in front of him.

"Ms Kanzaki," he said, not knowing what else to say.

"Kanzaki's fine," she said quickly, thrusting a pink token in his hands. It had the number "14" written boldly with a black marker pen.

"The interview begins in ten…and you're the fourteenth guy. And keep the token…no token, no interview. Got that, kiddo?"

Kanda knew she wasn't _that_ older than him to call him a "kiddo" but he let it slide at the moment. He had more important things to think about.

He nodded affirmatively as she skipped off again, distributing the tokens to the other candidates. He looked at his left wrist. A simple silver chain bracelet adorned it, the only anomaly being the fact that its latch was welded close. He could not open it—the only was being that he would have to pry it open using a pliers or something similar.

 _I am so weak, I need a reminder of my mistake_ , he thought ruefully, fingering the links. When Allen was lifted from his arms all those years ago by the paramedics, the bracelet had fallen on to his lap. A tiny "AW" was engraved on the inside, a surprisingly extravagant trinket for someone so close to being impoverished.

 _Maybe it was a gift_.

Whatever it might have been, to Kanda it served as a reminder as to what sort of consequences thoughtless actions might have. And also, it reminded him of the fact that once upon a time, there lived a beautiful silver-eyed, white-haired boy named Allen Walker.

*/*/

Lenalee smoothened down her skirt, fixed the minor ruffles of her shirt and checked her hair in the mirror before finally stepping out of her office. She felt slightly nervous but tried to clamp down on that feeling—according to the memo the peon delivered a couple of minutes ago, she was required to assist Mana Walker, the director's brother and the head of the Creative Marketing department, in the board meeting which would begin in two minutes.

Trust Neah Walker to hand out heart-attacks on silver plates. But on retrospect, it seemed a golden opportunity to prove herself. And Mana Walker was legendary—everyone knew that he was the God of marketing.

 _The Crown Corp is filled with geniuses_ , she sighed to herself as she stepped out onto the corridor. As usual, the twenty-seventh floor was a busy world. All the offices which were required to maintain Crown Corp's efficiency were located on this floor; the financial archives, the secretarial offices, the scheduling division etc. This floor could be accessed only by a special keycard—the elevators did not otherwise stop on this floor.

Lenalee sighed as she began her now-used-to dance of hurrying through the corridors without bumping into anyone. She remembered her first day, and how she had been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people that seemed to rush through. Thankfully Lavi, who had been passing by that time in search of a coffee vending machine, had taken pity on her and shown her how to navigate amidst the maddening crowd.

The conference room was on the opposite side to the location of her office and soon, she reached her destination. Some of the seats were already filled, their occupants reading through the notes that comprised the meeting agenda. Mana Walker was seated at the head of the table, doodling on his notepad. A bored expression was quite evident on his face.

Lenalee giggled before smothering herself into silence.

Mana looked up at the sound, and smiled as his gaze settled on Lenalee.

"Good morning Miss Lee, how are you today?" he asked in his genial voice, standing up and offering Lenalee a seat onto his right. Lenalee looked slightly surprised—she was supposed to stay in the background and take notes, right?

"Don't worry, it's an informal meeting…more like having breakfast with the family. I hope you haven't had breakfast yet?" he asked, sitting once Lenalee assumed her seat.

"Just a bagel and coffee," Lenalee answered, slightly nervous.

Mana Walker was just a few years older than Neah, but their resemblance was so uncanny, they could pass for twins. Both of them had slightly curly ebony hair, though Neah wore it longer while Mana preferred a shorter crop. They had those intelligent, yet kind chocolate brown eyes that could make anyone comfortable in their vicinity. The slight tan, easy smiles and genial body language made them good people to work for. In fact, it was rare for people to hand in their resignation at Crown Corp—people liked working here.

Ten minutes later, all the chairs were occupied. Lavi was slightly surprised to see her seated next to Mana, but he then grinned widely before making a beeline for the seat next to her. Opposite her and on Mana's left was Miranda Lotto, the Foreign Affairs Head who was mostly a bundle of nerves. But Lenalee knew that when push comes to shove, one could trust Miranda to bail one out. Next to her was Cross Marian, the (in)famous womanizer-cum-Head of Interior Design Department. His long, messy scarlet hair could _not_ be natural, right? Rumours had it that Cross would hit on anyone that moved, though Lenalee was surprisingly the sole exception. Perhaps it helped that her brother knew Cross since college and the scarlet-haired man _knew_ Komui's…well, _obsession_ with his sister.

Next to him was a stern-looking man with a moustache that could rival Adolf Hitler—Malcolm Revelier, the man who headed the Finance Department. Lenalee could not figure out why, but she hated that man's guts. When she confessed the same to Lavi one day two months ago, she was surprised to find him echo her emotions.

"That guy doesn't _fit_ in, ya know," Lavi had shrugged.

She could not have explained him better. Amidst all the cheery (not completely _cheery_ in case of Miranda but then again, she never smiled worry-free) faces, his frown coupled with a… _condescending_ look made him look like an extra-stern bank manager in a candy store. Lenalee shrugged lightly, weening her thoughts away from him. Next to him was the one she tried to avoid at all costs as he reminded her a lot of Allen.

Lookwise, at least.

Winston Campbell, or Wisely as he was more popularly known amongst the Crown Corp employees, was the secretary to Neah Walker. His hair was white too, and unruly like Lavi's but was somewhat tamed by a black scarf around his forehead. Unlike the other members of the meeting who were clad in formal business attire (except Lavi), he was clad in a loose blue Indian-style _kurta_ paired with snug white leggings and bamboo slippers. Unlike Allen though, his complexion was dark which made his hair stand out more. But like Allen, his built was slight and even though he was older than Lavi by at least three years, he looked as young as a teenager.

Wisely headed the Fashion Designing Department of Crown Corp, the newest venture of the company which Neah launched a year back. Wisely worked on his own before, and was one of the successful fashion designers in the circuit. She had no idea how on earth he agreed to work for Crown Corp—but according to Lavi, Neah himself had gone to recruit him. And Neah never played a losing game.

Sitting between Lavi and Wisely was Reever Wendham, the employee who had served Crown Corp. since its inception. Reever headed the Chemical Testing division, the toughest of all since it was the division most likely to attract legal and illegal trouble. Reever might be a scientist, but that did not mean he wasn't street-smart. His ability to check and block possible loopholes was the reason Mana had initially hired him. And that was still the reason Mana respected him today.

"Good morning everyone! It's been a long time since we have sat on the same table. Though my brother is still missing at the moment," Mana began, his eyes twinkling.

"The Design Department recruitment is underway, I suppose?" Wisely asked, yawning. His complexion hid it but now that Lenalee looked at him carefully, she could see the dark circles under his eyes.

"Stayed up all night again, I see?" Mana said.

"The Summer Line is due next week…can't let a newbie show me up," he yawned again, flopping over the table.

"I have full faith in you, Wisely. But don't land up in the hospital for overwork. As for your question, yes. Neah insists on interviewing the candidates himself and I must say, there is a good turnout this year," Mana said, smiling slightly at Wisely's prone figure.

"Is that so?" Lavi piped up. "Then I'd be looking forward to some good newbies this year!"

Mana nodded.

"But that is not the reason I gathered you here today."

Mana stopped talking as the door of the room opened. A maid carried in a food-trolley and the resulting aroma made Lenalee's mouth water with anticipation. Chicken and cheese sandwiches, bacon crisps, fruit bowl, scrambled eggs with buttered croissants washed down orange juice.

The biggest redeeming quality of Crown Corp. was its chef. Jasdeep Singh, nicknamed Jerry, was an Indian _khansama_ and had been formerly affiliated with a royal family from Rajasthan. Once when Neah had gone for a meeting in India, he had visited the head of the royal family for dinner. Neah had sworn that the chicken dish was best he had ever tasted and almost _begged_ the man to let Jasdeep Singh come with him.

Crown Corp's cafeteria now sported dishes that could put even Michelin-starred restaurants to shame. The Walker siblings meant it seriously when they said that Crown Corp was more like a family to them.

After the maid left, Mana cleared his throat slightly to regain their attention.

"Lenalee…could you switch on the projector please?" he said.

Lenalee swiftly walked to the back of the room where the switchboard was placed. She switched it on, and then dimmed the room lights. Mana smiled at her when she did that before beckoning her back to her seat. He then attached the HDMI cable to his smartphone and indicated everyone to look at the screen behind him.

"This video was uploaded last night on YouTube," he said.

Lenalee looked at the view counter below the video and gasped.

" _Twenty million hits!"_ she squealed before she could control herself. Even Lavi was astounded by it, his lone green eye huge and round with surprise.

The uploader was someone named Black Order. Lenalee racked her brains…she was an avid YouTube user herself but she had never heard of anyone with that name.

"What is the video about, Mana?" Reever asked, trying to gain information out of the screen they could see on the projection.

"I want you to just watch the video very carefully. After that, I would begin today's discussion," said Mana as he clicked the "Play" button.

The words "BLACK ORDER" came up huge in grey Algerian font in a black background before fading away.

Electronic beats opened the music, making Lenalee's eyes widen yet again.

"I know that song," she whispered softly. It was one of her favourites; "Illuminated" by "The Hurts". She loved both the original and the Nightcore version, though the latter was a bit closer to her heart. But the version she was currently listening made her mind go numb.

It was freaking _brilliant_.

But that was not all—as the electronic beats gave way to the opening lyrics, a boy came into focus. His eyes were covered by one of those ballroom masks. He had jet-black hair and was clad in a white loose shirt and black pants and was barefoot. And with a black background, the entire video was in monochrome.

And then the boy began dancing.

Lavi gave a low whistle at the insane jumps and twists the boy did, keeping up with the song's crazy tempo.

"What is he made of…rubber?" Lavi said slowly, awe apparent in his voice. Lenalee was frozen still, as if captivated by the boy in the video.

And when the video ended and Wisely got the lights back up, she was still entranced by him.

Who was he?

A silence enveloped the room. It seemed as if all of them, even Rouvelier, was not unscathed.

"Both the music _and_ the choreography was done by him," Mana said, breaking the silence.

"Well…er…" Cross began but it was clear that the usually vocally eloquent man was lacking words at the moment.

"I have been wanting to revive Crown Records for many years now," Mana said softly, looking around the faces at the table. Lenalee felt a small smile tug her lips. Lavi had told her that the Crown Corp initially began as Crown Records but it flopped big time since the band who featured it suddenly disbanded, leaving them in the dust. Even though the company expanded into diverse fields and succeeded, music was something closest to Mana's heart. He often gave out tickets to classical piano concerts, and though most refrained from attending, Lenalee went to most of them. Though she did not know how to play an instrument or sing, she loved good music. And so did Komui and her parents.

"Whoever 'Black Order' is, I want him. This is his first dance video, though. The previous ones have been solo songs. I want you all to listen to all his songs and tell me what you think by next week. And then, we prepare a plan to recruit this guy. I don't care where he lives or what he does. By the end of this year, I want him here as a part of the Crown Corp."

"Mana's all fired up now, what say Lena-lady?" Lavi smirked, biting into his sandwich.

* * *

 **A/N:** I could have said something but it would become a spoiler. But a hint...I have removed the Character Death flag!

Review please?


	3. Itsuwari no Kamen

**A/N:** Got some surprises for you guys! Read on!

P.S.: The chapter title itself is a big hint!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3: ITSUWARI NO KAMEN**

"This Black Order guy, he basically remixes the song, doesn't he?"

It was lunch and Lavi and Lenalee were sitting at the edge of one of the long tables. The redheaded architect was digging into a bowl of mac-n-cheese while Lenalee was biting into a meat-bun.

"Not just plain remixing," Lenalee explained, after chewing her mouthful thoroughly and swallowing it. "He adds something of his own—tweaks the lyrics or adds in a piece of instrumental music between two stanzas. In short, he breaks the song down to its basics and rebuilds it his way"

Lavi cocked his head one side, looking puzzled.

"Then what about the copyright infringement issues? After all, at the end of the day, _he_ doesn't own them, the record label does," he pointed out.

"I thought that too. But turns out that Black Order's remixes actually boost _their_ album sales, so it's more of a twisted marketing thing working out. And everyone's happy. I guess I'm seeing why Mana's so interested in him," Lenalee replied thoughtfully.

Suddenly, her eyes caught a figure walking down the cafeteria. A tall man clad in a business suit with long black hair held up in a ponytail.

A really, really familiar figure.

A rage that she did not know existed within her bubbled up her throat, as if glad that years of restraint were being slowly broken.

It had to be _him_.

"Um…Lena-lady?" Lavi said, sounding startled. He followed her line of sight and zeroed on to her subject.

Long hair…tall, lithe figure.

It _couldn't_ be…

"Yuu Kanda," she seethed, grabbing her glass of water tightly, almost cracking it. Lavi hurriedly removed the object from her grip, lest she broke it and got hurt.

He looked at that long-haired man, who was slowly eating his noodle bowl.

So _that's_ him…

"What on _earth_ is _he_ doing here?!"

*/*/

For Kanda, the morning went well. He sat outside the room were the interviews were held, keeping to himself. He listened to conversations the other candidates had with each other, trying to figure out his competition.

 _They have mostly worked on residential projects, though._

The Crown Corp. specialised mostly in designing museums, or houses which required a unique style or some degree of flamboyance. So residential project experience wouldn't prove to be that big an advantage, Kanda determined.

 _Stop thinking about the others,_ he told himself sternly. _There's only me, and no one else._

When his name was called out, he walked into the room, trying to make his knees stop wobbling. Arise winked at him and he tried to smile back, though he felt it was more of a grimace.

The room seemed to be a conference room. A long rectangular table enough to seat at least fourteen people was at the centre of the room. At one side sat Neah Walker.

Kanda had seen the man's photo for more times than he could count but still, he was taken aback at how young he seemed to be. His curly black hair was tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck, loose curls framing his lightly tanned face. Wrinkles at the corners of his bright, amber eyes said that he was a man who smiled a lot.

Kanda stood next to the only empty chair in the room, uncertain whether to sit down. He looked at the chair and almost yelped in surprise.

The chair…it had only three legs. And not evenly placed like a tripod. More like a toddler had glued the legs on to a seat and made it stand. He touched it carefully, confirming his worst fears.

Yep, the chair was dangerously wobbly.

He looked around surreptitiously for another chair. And he found none.

 _Was this some kind of test?_

Crown Corp was known to be state-of-the-art, and till now, he had witnessed nothing but perfection. So the chair, it couldn't be just a mistake.

So, it was a test.

Now the question remained, how on earth would he sit on it? If he lost his balance, he would never be able to erase this humiliation from his memory. And if he asked for another chair, it would seem as if he was giving up.

No, he will _not_ give up.

"Yuu Kanda, is it?" Neah said, looking up finally from the perusal of the file in front of him. Kanda had a sneaking suspicion that the older man had been watching him all this time. "Why don't you take a seat?"

 _I would have loved to, sir. But there's a tiny little problem here…_

The silver bracelet caught light from one of the overhead lamps and glinted back, as if winking.

 _Okay, Allen. If you say so._

With a silent prayer to the one upstairs, he sat lightly on the chair, remaining careful to rest the maximum of his weight on his legs.

"Bravo!" Neah clapped, standing up.

Kanda looked at him with bewilderment.

"You're the first person to have sat successfully on the chair since this morning," Neah said happily, resuming his seat. "All the others either asked for another chair or fell down. So tell me, Yuu Kanda, why did you sit?"

 _All was not lost…he does have a chance to crack through._

"Crown Corp prides itself on being efficient and state-of-the-art. Thus, placement of a chair such as this in an interview room with no other replacement in sight means that this chair is a test in itself," he replied.

Neah smiled widely, nodding his head.

"Correct, boy. Designing a building is all about maintaining a balance between nature, technology, aesthetics and economy. One who does not understand balance is not fit to be an architect—looks like you pass my first test."

Kanda gave a tiny sigh of relief.

Neah leafed through the documents which he must have received from Arise; she had taken their binders, assuring them that they would receive them after their interview was over.

"Hmm…interesting academic profile, young man. I'm impressed. You won the National Arthouse Design Competition too? But that one involves structural designing as well, right?"

"I did my majors in Civil Engineering, sir," Kanda replied.

Neah leafed to the front, a look of recognition on his face. "Ah! So you have. Good credentials…but it seems you are just out of college. You haven't worked anywhere as of yet…why should I take you in while there are hundred-odd experienced candidates outside?"

Kanda mentally smirked. He _knew_ this was the only flaw one could find in his CV, and he _had_ an answer to that.

Forty-five minutes later, he emerged out of the cabin, mentally exhausted yet pleased with himself. Neah was a conversationalist, and had a manner to make anyone feel at ease. But that did not mean he went easy. He asked him questions ranging from history to latest movies to cats to his favourite food. Neah even asked the reason as to why he wasn't to join his father's cutlery business.

Probing questions, but Kanda had a feeling he gave satisfactory answers. He started searching for Arise, and found her seated next to one of the many potted plants that dotted the corridor.

"Ah kiddo, done?" she asked tiredly. Kanda nodded affirmatively, sitting next to her. She had removed her feet from her shoes and was currently flexing the toes.

"I hate interview days…they make you run about like crazy," she groaned. Kanda made a sympathetic noise, unsure about what to reply.

"You crossed the thirty-minute mark, kiddo. You're as good as selected."

Kanda almost fell off the bench in surprise.

"What?" he squeaked.

Arise nodded. "Neah talks that long only with those in whom he sees potential. You sat on that chair throughout, right?"

"Yeah, but—" Kanda began, only to be interrupted by her.

"Trust me, kiddo. I've known that man for almost a decade now. If you don't trust me, why don't you stick around till evening? With Mana joining the interview post lunch, this entire drama will be over by around eight. The selected candidates will be announced today itself, so see for yourself then."

Arise stood up suddenly, jamming her feet back into her kitten heels.

"Gotta go…work to do. See ya! And best of luck!"

With that, she sped. With the number of people running up and the down the corridors, the fact that she made it to the elevators at top speed without colliding with anyone was nothing short of amazing.

Kanda sighed, leaning back on the bench and looking up. Crown Corp's building was around fifty stories high. Till the first four floors, the shape of the building was that of a "U". Above that, it became sort of an "O". Wacky style, all right. The glass roof refracted a gentler version of the summer sun into the building, bathing it with diffused, comfortable sunlight.

What if Arise was right? What if he _did_ get selected?

The slight hum of people busy with work, the light _tinkle_ of the elevators, occasional wafts of strong coffee…yeah, he could get used to this life.

Couple of hours later, his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had skipped breakfast due to tension.

He had heard a lot about Crown Corp's café. Time he saw it for himself.

And as he went up to the thirtieth floor, he wasn't disappointed.

The outside walls consisted mostly of large glass windows, providing unhindered view of the New York skyline. The bright sunlight made the image sharper, and it seemed as if he was looking at an image captured in high definition.

 _In London, the view would have been greyish_.

But the sky would have seemed closer. Kanda suddenly missed London. Even though he had spent only three years in that city, it had carved a special place in his heart. Unconsciously, he fingered his bracelet.

 _Allen, if you were here, would you have loved it?_

He went to the counter to find a pretty young girl manning the station.

"ID card please. In you're here for an interview, then please present your token," she said in a bland voice. Kanda showed her the token.

"Okay, your order?"

Kanda mentally debated before his mind clamped on his logic.

"You have soba?" he asked.

The girl nodded, wrote his order on a piece of paper and rushed back into the kitchen.

"Wait up for ten minutes," she said, waving him to stand aside to let the others order.

After collecting his food, he looked around, found an empty bench and made a beeline for it. He was about to eat his first bite when felt the table shake slightly as a fist punched into it.

"Yuu Kanda," the voice seethed with restrained anger. "What the _hell_ you think you're doing here?"

*/*/

Lavi followed Lenalee to the one he deduced to be Yuu Kanda, a worried look coming over his usually cheerful face. He knew that the woman was not someone who believed in getting into violent altercations but right now, the uncharacteristic anger on her face was making him doubtful.

Kanda looked up in surprise, which morphed quickly into uncertainty mixed with guilt when he realised who exactly was standing next to him.

Lavi decided to get in closer—someone with a comparatively calmer mind had to stay close to act as the fire extinguisher.

"Lenalee Lee," he said softly, pushing aside his noodle bowl.

Lenalee punched the table again, attracting a fair bit of attention. "You haven't answered my question," she hissed.

"I came for an interview," Kanda replied slowly. Lavi realised that he was not interested in some epic showdown as Lenalee was currently hinting at.

"Wow…some person you are. You kill off someone and now live a life like some freaking bed of roses…I should have expected it, though. What else are you rich snotbags good for?" she spat, trying to infuse the murderous hatred she felt towards him in her words.

Kanda looked down on the table, refusing to meet her eyes.

Till now, Lavi had looked at Kanda through Lenalee's eyes but now, he realised that the viewpoint had been a bit, well, biased.

"Um…Lenalee?" he interjected, making Kanda look up in surprise. He was sure that the long-haired man did not realise that there was a third person in the event.

"Yes, Lavi?" she said in a deceptively calm voice. Lavi gulped but forced himself to continue.

"Um…I know it's not my place to say anything…but, don't you think you're being a bit hard on him? I mean, I understand that you two don't have that good a history with each other but…I dunno…let the sleeping dogs lie? You can't change the past, but why taint the future? This Allen guy, what I understand about him…he won't like it, Lenalee."

Lavi exhaled loudly, preparing himself for an outburst from the woman.

But he sure did not expect sniffles.

"Lenalee?" he squeaked.

Lenalee wiped her cheek, her anger now disintegrating into a pout.

"I can't help it, Lavi," she said softly. "Allen…gods, I miss him so much! It's been seven years now, I know…but _still_! And he…"

She pointed accusingly at Kanda.

"Lena-lady," Lavi said soothingly, lowering her hand. "I think Kanda understands that…that guilt is written clear on his face. You two…you've been trapped too long in the past. Come on, shake hands and be friends. Come on!"

Lenalee stared at the redhead as if he grown another head while Kanda held a similar look of disbelief.

Lavi groaned at the two before pulling both their hands and making them shake.

"Good. You two…invited for dinner at my pad tomorrow. Could've invited you today but I've a date with my Lena-lady….now the time's being a bitch and Miranda might be a dear but she wouldn't hesitate drowning us in the Mariana Trench if we don't leave now. Toodles!"

Lavi said that at top speed and before either could respond, he grabbed Lenalee and exited the cafeteria in record time, leaving Kanda mouth soundlessly like a goldfish.

*/*/

Some fifty miles away from New York, amidst the countryside and a posse of rather territorial cats stood a rather nondescript two-storied farmhouse. The sloped wooden roofs, the pale white-washed walls along with the tended garden was a generic picture that one could associate with a lazy farm life.

Even the fact that a young man was currently lounging in the front-yard, his face covered with a book as the wind played gently with his silvery blond hair, fitted perfectly in the picture. He was clad in a loose white shirt and brown workpants and his pale hands were slightly reddening due to the prolonged exposure to the sun.

One of the cats, a fat, rotund ginger with a squashed yet adorable face, jumped onto his lap and pawed his arm, meowing insistently.

"Tim, get off my lap…you're too warm and too heavy," the man groaned, shifting into a more comfortable position on the lounge chair.

The cat, Tim, meowed again.

A creaking of the door was heard and a man emerged from the house. He looked Asian and seemed to be in his early thirties. His hair looked as if it was bleached but if one examined it well, then it would understood that blond was its original colour. He was clad in brown shirt and jeans and currently had a frown on his face.

"What are you doing outside? You do realise the summer sun's not good for you?" he said, sounding partly worried, partly indignant. The person to whom the words were addressed to only shrugged, making the blond man march up to him indignantly.

He removed the book from his face, making the silver-haired man squint at the sudden sunlight. The red scar on his face seemed to shine brightly like a beacon.

"Allen Walker, do you really want to die of something as stupid as a heat-stroke?" the man sighed, hitting Allen lightly on his head with the spine of the book. Allen sighed, sitting up as much as he could without disturbing Tim who had promptly fallen asleep on his lap.

"I know, Bak," he said.

Bak patted him sympathetically on his back. "I know you don't like it, but you know how ICDs work, right?"

Allen patted a spot on his chest just above his heart. Though invisible to the naked eye, he knew that a tiny device was sitting just underneath his finger, ensuring that his heart keeps on beating the way it is supposed to beat. Medically termed as the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD for short, that tiny metal thing monitored his heart and if it began to beat at a range higher than normal, it sent shocks to control it.

Allen knew it sounded more melodramatic than the actual fact but that did not stop Bak from worrying.

Bak Chan was a doctor, and seven years ago on that fateful day, he was on duty when Allen was brought into the hospital. Allen had died that night.

But due to his senior's quick thinking, Allen had been taken into surgery and after a fourteen-hour-long operation, an ICD was planted in his chest. Thankfully, the bullet had missed the heart by millimetres but the resulting shock almost stopped its beating. Bak went through his file and was faintly surprised that there wasn't anyone listed to be his guardian or next of kin. The kid was eighteen, though. So technically, he did not require one.

Bak was about to call up his school when a rasping voice came from Allen's bed.

"Don't…" he had wheezed.

If Bak was astonished at the fact, he did not show.

Later, when Allen was well enough to sit up on his own, he told the Bak the complete story.

"That's why…I don't want them to know…I want to leave it behind. I want to move forward," Allen said softly.

Bak nodded understandingly.

Three months later, Allen was discharged from the hospital. Since he was hospitalised as a casualty, he wasn't charged to which he was grateful but now, another problem made himself known.

What was he supposed to do now?

"Come with me, I'm leaving for New York next week," Bak said. Allen raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry…you're not being a freeloader nor am I crushing on you. You said you liked music, right? A friend of mine teaches music in New York…when I told her about you, she sounded interested. What say?"

Allen couldn't believe his ears. A slow, delighted smile spread across his face.

"Seriously?" he breathed. Bak nodded, smiling at the obvious delight on the boy's face.

"Of course. And if you managed to impress her, she might consider you for the merit scholarship program. Then, you might not have to work part-time."

Allen nodded, looking up at the rare sunny English sky. He would miss London, but perhaps a new country would prove to be better for him.

*/*/

Three years after arriving in New York, Bak got married to his childhood sweetheart Xiu Ai, a beautiful Chinese woman who was pursuing her masters in Genetics at New York University. Allen loved Xiu Ai like a sister and she in turn left no stone unturned in spoiling Allen. Bak often remarked how the three of them were like one perfect family, and that remark alone made Allen happy.

After years of trying to fit in, he found people who loved for who and what he was. And for that, he would be eternally grateful.

The person who taught him the piano at Laurenze Music Academy was a short, fierce woman named Fou La, one of Bak's family friends. She was even shorter than Allen but her mouth was enough to send even tall giants go hiding into corners. She was a self-proclaimed slave-driver but she knew her job. And when praises were due, she never shied away from doing it. Allen couldn't get the full scholarship as his music was not very polished, but he could manage by working part time in the NYU library as an assistant librarian. The librarian was an old man named Vladimir Buchmann, though everyone called him by his last name. Allen often wondered how the old man managed to work but he had to admit, his age was no indication to his energy levels.

Xiu Ai told him to wear a wig when he went to work. Bak had not agreed to the same but she reminded him the reason—Allen wished to remain unnoticed and even though _they_ didn't mind, people on the streets would gawk.

And it wasn't something that foundation, a wig and a glove couldn't resolve.

Besides, Allen thought he had seen Lenalee one day. Even though a part of him wanted to meet her, the other part didn't.

 _She left me alone. She could do it again._

So he agreed to Xiu Ai's idea.

It never failed to amuse him how people passed by him without a second glance. After almost a decade of being a subject to obtrusive glances, this was a welcome change.

One day after his classes were over at Laurenze, Fou dragged him to the store room without any explanation. Allen knew better than to ask—he didn't want himself to be treated to another of Fou's martial arts moves. What she ended up showing him was something that was going to change his life for ever.

"What is this?" he asked softly, running his fingers over the keys of the synthesizer.

It was a large one, almost as large as a piano. Wires connected it to the computer which was currently running a music mix program. A microphone sat ready on a stand next to the seat.

"I've been teaching you for four years now, Walker," she said, crossing her hands over her chest while her eyes seemed to drill inside him. "And I know where your strengths lie. Time you found it out."

Fourteen hours later, Black Order was born.

*/*/

Xiu Ai had already laid out lunch, their delicious aroma making Allen's mouth water.

"At this rate, I'm going to become as fat as Noddy's Wobbly Man," Allen grinned, sitting down and inhaling deeply. Xiu Ai laughed softly, patting her swollen belly. She was already five months pregnant now, and the last visit to doctor determined that it was a girl. Bak unhesitatingly named Allen as her godfather, making the latter blush and sputter incoherently.

"Take it slowly, Ai," Bak admonished gently, planting a kiss on his wife's forehead before settling down between her and Allen. The table was round, its legs beautifully carved with natural motifs. It had been a wedding gift from Xiu Ai's parents.

"I agree, Ai," Allen nodded, piling the vegetables on his plate. "Your health is the most important thing. Don't even think of risking it."

"Alright, alright, you overprotective minions," she laughed, ruffling Allen's hair with her left hand. "If my brother says that, I've to obey him!"

"What about me?" Bak mock-groaned.

"Husbands are there to _listen_ to me," she grinned. Allen could help but laugh out loud at Bak's flabbergasted face.

"Now now Bak, no more talking. Food's getting cold," Allen said, still chortling.

 _I hope this lasts forever._

*/*/

* * *

 **A/N:** I got the idea of Kanda's interview from Ed's exam in Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) series. Those who have watched it know what I am talking about. And I forgot to write it in the last chapter's author notes - I am also putting this fic up in AO3 so if you want, you can check it out.

 **Anyone who figured out the meaning of the chapter title? Post it along with your reviews!**

This story is kind of growing in me now and I have three possible plotlines at the moment. Lets see which one plays out! And yeah, for those who might not know, Nightcore's a sort of style or remixing which involves converting soulful songs with happy hardcore beats. Do listen to the Nightcore version of Illuminated by Hurts. That was actually the song that inspired the fic. I could actually imagine Allen dancing to it.

The next chapter might be delayed as I have an exam in two days, though I will try my best to update as soon as possible. Cheers!

Review...please? :)


	4. Highway

**Author's Note:** I know it's been long, seriously long since I last updated. And yeah, I am alive - no ghost is dancing over my keyboard. The last couple of years saw me neck deep in postgrad university and job-hunting which left me not enough time for a shut-eye, let alone anything else. But now, as I am slowly getting order back in my life (yeah, graduated and got a job... _finally!_ ), I decided to take my incomplete works one at a time and start updating them. I hope you guys like the new chappie!

* * *

Chapter 4: Highway

Kanda sat outside the interview hall, twiddling his thumbs. It was almost eight, and the last candidate was being interviewed by Mana. Neah had left couple of hours ago for a meeting with the joint board – atleast that was what Arise told him when she had plopped down next to him with a cup of coffee.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to meet Lenalee Lee in the Crown Corp's cafeteria. He could not help but notice the tell-tale signs of sadness in her eyes, same as that fateful hospital encounter all those years ago. And he could not believe that she was friends with _the_ Lavi Buchmann, the person he would supposedly work for if he ended up getting selected.

 _Karma really did bite where it hurts._

He felt his phone buzz in his blazer pocket.

It was a text from his brother Alma

 _How was it? Killed it?_

He could not help but smile at his brother's excitement. Alma had been devastated when Kanda had told him about his wish of not joining into the family business but later, he gave in to Kanda's thoughts and wishes. And since then, he had always supported Kanda as much as he could.

 _Did my best. Awaiting the results. How's Mom holding the cold?_

Alma: _Mom's fine – it was a minor climate change thingy, nothing to worry about. We would be leaving for Kyoto tomorrow anyways so bye bye London rains! You nervous?_

Kanda: _A little._

Kanda hesitated a little before typing. _I met Lenalee._

Alma's response was immediate – the phone began to buzz as Alma's call flashed on his phone.

"Before you ask anything, I'm fine, Alma," Kanda sighed into the phone. Even though Alma was older than him by five years, he still acted way immature at times.

"What did she say? Don't tell me she is buddies with Neah!" Alma practically screamed.

"Relax. I trust my abilities more. Besides, she is more mature, calmer than I would have been in her situation," Kanda said with a placating air, a sad smile on his lips.

"She did not trouble my little brother now, did she?" Alma demanded.

"No, she did not. Don't get all worked up – help mom and dad in packing," Kanda said. He saw the last candidate exit the interview room with a tired expression on his face – the interview had not even lasted ten minutes.

"Alma, I am disconnecting for now. I will call you after dinner," Kanda said and before his brother could protest, he disconnected.

He placed his mobile phone back into his blazer pocket, feeling uncharacteristically jittery. Granted, he did not pin up his existence on getting selected today but still, he _did_ perform the best he could.

He crossed his fingers in his jacket as he willed himself to calm down – getting worked up won't do anyone good. A loud silence filled the area as Arise came out of the room, wearing a grim, professional expression. She surveyed the crowd, locked onto him for a second and gave an almost-impossible-to-detect nod of her head.

"Thank you all for coming, it means a lot to us when such amazing people dream of working with us. It means we are doing something good. Unfortunately, even though saying no to you guys, you incredible people with such powerhouses of talent and experience, is difficult, it must be done. But do not let it bog you down – you are the top cream of the cream in this field and wherever you go, you are bound to shine."

She sighed, a small smile now perking up the corner of her lips.

"Now, to business. The candidates I will call out now would need to stay back – Neah and Mana would like to meet with you. As you all know, the Design Department had three open positions this year – Chief Architect, Interior Design Consultant who will also be working with Cross Marian and the Interior Design Department and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Design Lavi Buchmann."

Kanda felt as if he was breathing through wool, a dull ringing in his ears amplified by the rushing of blood. He suddenly felt light-headed and held on to the railing to prevent himself from crumpling. He swore he saw Arise give an imperceptible smirk in his direction.

"Crown Corporation feels great pride in welcoming Trevor Kahn as the new Chief Architect. Congratulations, Trevor!"

A tall, slightly gaunt looking man with a shock of black hair and grey eyes in a dark blue suit bowed slightly in acknowledgement. Kanda had heard of Trevor Kahn, he was one of the celebrated architects in Beverly Hills until the firm he worked for got embroiled in a tax evasions case and was grounded. He was almost Architectural Digest's version of a center-page spread – his designs were legendary, and many celebrities made a beeline for him when houses needed to be designed. Although many suggested that he open his own design firm, his utter lack of financial senses was the reason he went bankrupt within two months of opening shop.

No wonder he made the cut.

"As the Interior Design Consultant, we would be honoured to have Anastasia Stormholt on board."

A short, lithe girl with waist-length wavy strawberry blonde hair tipped with salmon, sun-tanned with piercing green eyes and clad in a dark green ruffled blouse and black pants gave a soft, relieved smile.

"For the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Design, it was a hard task. The post demanded experience, that was given. But also, it demanded the mental fortitude to work at the pace of Lavi Buchmann, who you all know is an eccentric genius. A tough call, but I really hope Yuu Kanda can deliver and prove that the faith Neah and Mana have placed on him is not misplaced."

It took Kanda almost a minute to realise that Arise was talking about him. He stood up straighter and inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, trying to clamp down upon the heady storm of emotions threatening to take over his being.

He couldn't believe it.

He actually did it!

*/*/*

Lenalee was sitting in the coffee shop, a regular haunt of hers where she often sat – study when she was in college, fill up job application forms when she was job-hunting and people-watch when she finally got into Crown Corp. It was not one of those impersonal gigantic sit-eat-rush diner-cafes that have mushroomed up in the last few years in the Central District, rather it was small, quaint and cozy where the owner still used filter paper and a manual French Press to brew coffee. The fireplace, now dark and quiet, roared a happy warmth in the winter nights as it let a quiet sense of contentment seep into its patrons. The large, all-glass walls opened out to the busy sidewalk and Lenalee loved to huddle up in the oversized chintz armchair with a mug of fresh coffee and stare at the sea of humanity and rushed past her.

Hallison's Coffee Shop had now almost become a second home to her and Mr. Richard Hallison, the owner, knew her moods and the orders that went with them. For instance, happy mood in a hot summer afternoon meant an icy cold lemon tea with grilled chicken iceberg salad. Melancholy days meant hot chocolate topped with thick whipped cream and gooey choco-chip cookies fresh from the oven. Frantic days demanded double-black macchiato with chicken, ham and cheese sandwich while days in which she was lost to her thoughts required Hallison's home brew of coffee spiked with Bailey's Irish Cream and buttered bagels.

Like today.

Lenalee pulled her knees closer to her chest, cocooning herself in the shawl so that only her head and her hands cradling the coffee mug were exposed. It was almost nine, and the people outside were mostly those on their way back home from offices or on their way to dinner with friends or family. Some happy, some tired, some delighted at the prospect of going back to their families after a long day, some worried – Lenalee loved to watch people and try and dive into their minds, try and see the world the way they might be viewing. It was an exercise that proved to be good distraction for the mind.

She did not want to think about Yuu Kanda.

She did not want to think about that fateful phone call – the one that made her world go from technicolor to shades of grey.

 _Oh Allen! How I miss you, my dear brother!_

She sipped her coffee, feeling the caffeine and the alcohol warm her a bit. Mr. Hallison was certainly not stingy when it came to spiking drinks.

There was a light tinkle of a bell when the shop door opened, and she did not need to see to know the new arrival - the smell of stale cigarette and wood smoke was as unique as any social security number.

"Sorry I'm late, Lena Lady. Was caught with the newbies," Lavi said quickly, flopping down on the armchair and swiping off an untouched bagel from her plate.

"You look hungry," Lenalee commented, trying to keep the smile off her face. Lavi may be a genius and head of one the busiest and crucial departments of one of the biggest organizations but still he could look like a college student who had an exam in hours and had studied nothing for it.

Lenalee giggled lightly at the thought.

"What?" Lavi managed to say with a mouth full of bagel.

Lenalee just smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing."

Mr. Hallison placed a platter of fried chicken fingers, lamb stir fry and plain olive-oil tossed spaghetti sprinkled with burnt garlic on the table and slid a bottle of cold beer to Lavi.

"More coffee, miss?" Mr. Hallison asked in his usual brusque voice.

Lenalee shook her head. "Thank you, Mr. Hallison but I think I have moped enough."

She swore Mr. Hallison's ruddy, weathered face broke into a grin as he stepped away from their table.

"That Kanda guy is now my Executive Assistant, Lena," Lavi said without warning as he opened the beer bottle with his teeth and chugged down the liquid gratefully.

Lenalee froze.

"What?" she enunciated slowly in a low voice, unwilling to believe what Lavi had said just now.

 _No! Kanda can't be here! He just can't!_

"You heard what I said, Lena," Lavi said, twirling his fork in the spaghetti, his lone green eye piercing hers like a point laser. "Let it go. Professionally, that guy's brilliant. I can't see the other way and deprive him what he deserves just because you hate him."

 _Hate him? He doesn't deserve my hatred, he deserves annihilation!_

Lavi reached out across the table and placed his tanned over Lenalee's. She looked away from him, preferring to watch the flickering lights outside.

"Lena, trust me. Let your anger go. I'm not telling you to be best buddies with him – for your sake, let go of that anger. Look ahead, you have got a bright future. From what I've learnt from you, Allen wouldn't have wanted you to mope around and become blood-thirsty for vengeance," Lavi said softly, rubbing his thumb over her wrist in circles in an attempt to calm her down.

Deep within her heart she knew Lavi was right. Nothing came on maintaining a grudge – it was not healthy. Not to mention the fact that it shaded her life and made everything dull. Lavi did bring a dash of freshness but it disappeared whenever he wasn't around.

She could almost see Allen stand on the other side of the glass, wearing his favourite black hoodie and jeans with a soft smile dancing on his lips.

 _Let it go, Lenalee,_ he said, his grey eyes holding nothing but love and warmth.

 _Go, live your life. You've suffered, even though it wasn't your fault at all._

*/*/*

Allen stared at the email on his laptop screen. Fou had forwarded him an email and judging from its contents, someone was hellbent on signing him up.

Fou had added a footnote to the email, though.

 _Do whatever you want to, don't come scurrying to me for advice._

Allen couldn't help but smile at the line. To an outsider, Fou's message might come across as rude but he knew her enough to know that it was her style of telling him that he was old enough and she trusted him to take decisions henceforth.

 _Thanks, Fou._

He scrolled below to read the email again.

 _Dear Fou La_

 _On behalf of Crown Records, I am writing this email to ask you about the latest Internet sensation who is known as the Black Order. Mana Walker is keen to restart Crown Records and it would be a matter of immense pride and gratitude if you could help us secure a meeting with Black Order. We have a proposal to discuss with the person managing Black Order._

 _If you could provide us with any leads, we would be eternally grateful for that. Mr. Walker also takes this opportunity to ask whether you would be interested in getting Crown Records back on track. He has asked you to email him your thoughts on that._

 _Thanking you_

 _Yours sincerely_

 _Leslie McLean_

 _P.A. to Director – Crown Corp_

Allen drummed his fingers absently on the keyboard as he thought on the words. They wanted to _meet_ him? Why?

He remembered Fou say that something like this might happen but then again, so soon? He wasn't ready!

A knock on his room's door snapped him from his reverie.

"Allen?"

It was Bak.

"Oh, hi!" Allen said quickly. Bak walked in and handed him a glass of orange juice.

"Fou told me about the Crown Corp thing," he said as he sat down on one of the bean bags. Tim bounded in from no where and began snuggling against his legs, making Allen giggle.

Bak smiled at that innocent smile that currently graced Allen's face – an activity that took years of love and trust to culture and develop. He had his reservations about sending Allen back into population, but the more rational side knew that he couldn't stay in a cocoon forever. He needed to equip Allen to survive and thrive, let that talent be recognized and cultivated.

Allen looked at him, an indescribable look in his usually open, gray eyes.

"I don't know, Bak – I don't want to leave this place," he said softly.

"You're not leaving us forever! It's time you showed the world what you're made of!" Bak said, thumping his shoulder energetically

Allen looked at him feeling indebted, grateful and overjoyed. After Tiedoll's death, Komui had tried to fill in the gap but as the school board was being a pain, he too had to leave.

In a twisted way, he was glad Kanda betrayed him – he wouldn't have met Bak Chan otherwise. A person who had succeeded in getting him out of the rut and making him comfortable in his own skin.

 _Maybe, maybe this time, it would be different._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I will be honest - I won't promise next chapter update dates but rest assured, I will update it soon. I will try to update on a monthly basis as of now and see if I can get my update schedules tighter.

 _Ciao!_


	5. Chaos and Order

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reads and reviews! I had almost believed that this story was forgotten - looks like it had made its way to all your hearts. Thank you for your love and appreciation! This is all the fuel I need to write more! :)

I am thinking of making this story either a 15-chappie or a 25-chappie long thing. 15-chappie would mean less of fluff and more of angst while the 25-chappie one will have equal shares of fluff and angst and maybe a couple of teensy related side-plots thrown in. I have a couple of plot-bunnies staring at my face with round, cute eyes so I am just wondering whether to feed them the carrot. Or not. I would appreciate your thoughts on this as well.

And yeah, another reminder - it's a Yullen story. No graphic details though. But I have let you know so no flames to me for that.

Toodles! Lubh ya loads! 3 3

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Chaos and Order**

"I can't meet him face-to-face."

Allen sat at the dinner table, his right hand scratching the back of Tim's ears while the left was currently on the wooden dining table, the fist clenching and unclenching in nervousness. Fou La sat opposite him, her lips pressed thin in her usual annoyed expression.

"I'm not meeting this McLean in your stead, boy," she said flatly.

Bak looked at the two and sighed – neither of the them looked eager to compromise. But he knew what Fou was trying to pull. But he wondered whether Allen was ready to meet the world. Even though he had attended the music school, it was more of one-on-one sessions with Fou or the library with the old man. After that fateful incident seven years ago, Allen refrained from human contact.

Truth be told, this exclusion was worrying him a little.

"You don't understand, Miss Fou," Allen argued. "I just _can't_!"

"Pray explain then," Fou shrugged. Bak caught her eye and gave her an imperceptible nod. If Allen needed pushing, then pushing it is.

"It's…its….ughh!" Allen sputtered, running his fingers through his hair helplessly. He was _fine_ here. He didn't want to go back to all those people, the noise. Bak, Xiu Ai…they were _safe_. They wouldn't hurt him, they wouldn't betray him. Not like _him_.

He shouldn't have made that video.

"Allen," said Fou, catching him off-guard with an uncharacteristic soft voice. "You have to step out – you cannot hide forever! Think about the volumes of experiences you're missing out on! Friends, hanging out, loving someone…"

"And we all know how that turned out!" Allen snapped harshly. Tim jumped off his lap, meowing indignantly as he padded away to find a nicer, quieter and comfier place. Humans and their emotions!

Fou shot a desperate look at Bak, only to be answered with a helpless shrug. Allen was almost twenty-five, and if he didn't shrug off his aversion to company, it would prove to be a huge problem later. Besides, even though Fou would never admit it out loud, Allen was a gem of a person. He seemed well-mannered and polite at the first glance but when one really interacted with him, you could find an audacious trickster with a love for tomfoolery hidden behind those silver eyes. She knew Crown Corp was indeed a good label to work for – unlike the other names in the industry, they knew their job and weren't inclined to mooch off money through a gimmick. The Walker brothers appreciated music – and anyone who had an ear could safely say that Allen was a prodigy.

But for all that, he needed to step out of his fortress.

"Allen dear."

The three of them looked up to see Xiu Ai walk out of the study, a small sad smile playing on her lips. Allen shot out of his chair to help her settle comfortably into a couch, wrapping the blankets around her and in general fussing about like a mother hen. Xiu Ai giggled at him, making Allen smile. Bak and Fou couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"Allen dear," Xiu Ai said, making him sit next to her. "Cocoon isn't a life – you need to step out of chrysalis to become a butterfly," she said softly, caressing Allen's scarred side of the face gently with her hand. "You are a wonderful person, Allen. You can be so great…let people love you, adore you – they will cherish you, trust me. Don't let one bad experience shape your life."

Allen held her hand in both of his, his eyes slightly watering. Xiu Ai was like the sister and mother he never had – and he was never able to not listen to her. He always felt she understood him at some deeper level, a level none of the others even thought of looking for.

"But Ai…." He began, knowing that he had lost the fight. "I don't know…"

"I know it is difficult Allen – but this time, you are not alone," Xiu Ai said softly. "We are there for you, rooting for you all the way. You have a home, you have a family."

Allen sat still, his head lowered so that his silvery bangs hid his face. He couldn't help it – fat tears started sneaking out of his eyes and falling on his lap.

"Oh Allen," Xiu Ai said, pulling him forward and enveloping him in a hug. "It's okay, everything's fine."

* * *

Kanda lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The entire day was surreal – he had pinched himself thrice in the last hour to check whether he was dreaming. From running into Lenalee and getting selected into Crown Corp, the day had been a roller-coaster of emotions. He was supposed to move into his new apartment tomorrow – Lavi had given him the keys already – but he suddenly felt too tired to move. The day, it seemed, was finally taking a toll on him.

He rolled on to his side and curled up, drawing his knees close to his chest. A series of dry sobs started shaking his frame as he tried to cry out loud. He couldn't pinpoint his emotions exactly, but it was times like this he felt the hollow eat away his heart. He cradled his wrist with Allen's bracelet close to himself, feeling torn with grief and sorrow.

 _Why, Allen? Why did you protect me? Why me? I betrayed you…_

Curled up like a little lost child in the woods, Kanda cried.

* * *

Lavi sat in his beat-up Chevy Malibu, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. Maybe plastering Lenalee with two bottles of potent red wine wasn't the best idea perhaps.

But he couldn't think of any other way to make that pained expression leave her face. True, he had never seen her skip like a bunny, but that did not mean she was gloom personified. She was fundamentally a happy person – and no one could snatch that smile off her face.

He drummed his fingers on the old leather, loving the feel of its time-worn softness. His grandfather had gifted it to him on his eighteenth birthday. It was not glamorous or anything, but it was the only thing of his parents' the bank did not take away. They had been brilliant researchers and had won various accolades and prizes – but those did not bring in much money. Soon, they had run up a huge debt. And on that fateful day, a day after Lavi's fourth birthday, his parents died in the car crash.

Lavi often wondered as to why was his father not driving the Malibu he loved so much that day. The investigators found out that the brake of the car had malfunctioned because of rust in the parts. It was an old, rented car – no surprise there.

He saw the lights of seventh floor get switched on, making him smile a little. Looks like his Lena-lady had reached home safely. He turned the keys in the ignition and fired up his car, the dull thrum of the engine enveloping his mind in temporary bliss.

Maybe he could drive around the city a little – he didn't feel sleepy anyway.

* * *

"Wakey wakey up, Allen! Rise and shine!"

Allen groaned, burying himself deeper into the blankets. Tim meowed from somewhere before squawking indignantly – apparently Allen must have squashed his tail with his leg.

"Wake UP Allen! Fou will be reaching here in thirty minutes – do you want to get dragged to the city in your bedclothes?" Bak said, grinning. He spied a golden ball and rushed in to rescue the cat before he was subjected to more abuse. Tim settled himself comfortably in Bak's arms and gave an indignant "meow" in Allen's direction. The silvery blonde finally sat up, his hair being the worst ever example of a bedhead.

"Come on, Allen. Wake up! Xiu Ai has already made breakfast!"

Allen muttered unintelligibly about scheming cats and evil guardians as he finally extricated himself from his layers of bedclothes.

Bak grinned at his disheveled look and chided him to go into the bath before walking down the wooden steps into the hall, chortling to himself.

He settled Tim into a cushion before walking up to his wife and kissing her on the cheek.

"Is Allen up?" Xiu Ai asked, placing the cut fruit platter at the centre and then taking a step back to admire her handiwork. Cut fruits, bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, toast, blueberry preserve, clotted cream, scones, buttered croissant, a wheel of brie, chicken salami and lettuce, orange juice, cereal and coffee.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Ai," Bak exclaimed, taking in the sight. The table seemed almost to groan under the weight.

"You know Al's appetite – plus, it's a big day today," Xiu Ai said, smiling.

* * *

Allen was a glutton. But a nervous Allen was a food monster. Fifteen minutes later, Xiu Ai had a funny feeling that the breakfast which could have fed a small army in the best of times might fall short in quantity.

"Um….Allen?" she inquired hesitatingly.

"Yes, Xiu Ai?" Allen said through a mouthful of toast and bacon.

"Ah, nothing."

Post breakfast, Allen went back upstairs to his room to change and double check the contents of his overnight bag. He thought it was best if he stayed the night at Fou La's place as he had no clue how long the meeting would take and whether he would be required to meet some more people tomorrow. He had debated whether to wear his wig and glove but an inner voice – a tired, defiant voice – told him not to. He was tired of pretending and hiding just so that he would blend with the crowd.

Xiu Ai was right. This time, he was not alone. Also, Fou La would be with him.

He smirked as he recalled the resounding roundhouse kick she had landed on one of the Laurenze kids who had seen Allen without his wig in the toilet. The poor kid had transferred out in that week itself, terrified of short, screaming teachers.

No. He wouldn't hide anymore. He had enough of it.

He didn't care. Unless and until people accosted him physically and verbally, they were free to gossip.

With a determined look on his face, he replaced the wig and the glove in his dresser before shouldering the bag and walking down to the lobby.

He found Fou La standing in the foyer, the permanent scowl etched into her face as she talked with Bak. Xiu Ai was seated on one of the foyer armchairs, a small wicker basket in her arms. On seeing him, she stood up, beaming.

"There you go, your lunch," she said, handing him the basket. "I have packed your favorite chicken ham and cheese sandwiches along with some pita bread and hummus. New York's far so I guess it will be late afternoon when you would reach."

Allen again wondered what he could have possibly done to deserve Xiu Ai.

"Come on, brat. No more dawdling! We've wasted enough time as it is," Fou barked, though Allen could swear her giving Xiu Ai a tiny wink. "Into the car now, c'mon!"

"It'll be okay, Allen. We're always there for you!" Bak said, waving as Fou turned the ignition of her slightly battered-and-repaired Honda Civic. Allen placed his night bag and wicker basket in the back seat and then sat down in the shot gun, carefully putting on the seat belt. Fou could be really reckless behind the wheel.

True to his suspicions, Fou zoomed out of the driveway, leaving Allen clutching his seatbelt for dear life as his "Goodbye" died in his throat.

* * *

Kanda's jaw never dropped – it was an expression that could never be allowed to be envisaged on his face.

But today, it kissed the floor.

" _This_ is my cabin?" he squeaked.

"Is it not good?" Arise asked, looking anxious.

 _This_ was not just a cabin, it could fit a huge drawing room of an Upper East Sider. One wall was completely made of glass. And the fact that he was on the 47th floor and the office was on the side facing the sea – it was more than he had bargained for. Along with a large mahogany work-desk, a gleaming Apple workstation and a digital drawing board along with small detailed models of iconic Crown Corp designed buildings as paperweights. Some distance in front of the work desk was an assortment of armchairs and bean bags surrounding a large coffee table. On the wall beyond it was a good, old fashioned black board with a box of coloured chalks and a duster placed neatly on the shelf next to it. The walls in that area were covered with brown softboards for pinning up. A chest of drawers ran down both lengths of the wall of the "brainstorming area" and on top of it was a mini-fridge, a fruit bowl, a microwave oven and an induction plate. A set of crockery hung from a slim wooden panel, the whites reflecting the sunlight.

"That area is where you can sit with the designers and brainstorm – food to keep you fueled and beer to keep the creatives flowing," Arise said, her anxious expression fading into a mischievous grin as she looked at his lost, flabbergasted expression.

She pointed a door to the left, opposite to the door through which they entered and looked hidden.

"That is the door to the secret meeting room – it can only be accessed by you, Lavi, the Walkers, Wisely, Cross Marian, Trevor Kahn and Anastasia Stormholt. Crown Corp has a lot of secret meeting rooms hidden away in this building – guess corporate rivalry is no lesser than a medieval war for dominance. Almost every department has its own secret meeting room. And these rooms are impenetrable – eavesdropping is almost impossible," Arise explained. She opened the door and motioned Kanda to follow her.

The room lit into brilliance the moment Kanda stepped in. A giant screen was was across the room and right opposite him on which was emblazoned "GOOD MORNING, YUU KANDA" along with the photograph he had submitted as part of his identification and verification documents. A circular table of polished cherry wood and a marble top sat at the centre of the room which was surrounded by plush high-back chairs. The walls were creamy beige with a giant chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. Below the screen was a desktop, a DVD player and a switchboard. The room wasn't very big but it was immaculately arranged.

Just for the sake of it, Kanda checked his phone. A small cross on the signal strength confirmed what Arise said. He was suddenly intrigued about the room and the discussions it had.

Something bumped on his foot, making him look down.

"Robotic vacuum cleaners and air purifiers keep this room clean. You spill or break something in this room, you clean it," Arise shrugged, turning back to walk out of the door. Kanda tore his eyes away from his blown-up photograph and followed suit.

"I'd have killed for a look into the architectural plans of this building," Arise sighed longingly as Kanda shut the door behind him.

"Crown Corp does take its privacy seriously," Kanda said.

"It has to, otherwise the other firms wouldn't hesitate to make us kiss the mud," Arise shrugged, walking to the fruit-bowl and picking up an apple. "We have been pretty long in this business and frankly speaking, we conduct our business with diligence and respect – I guess all old conglomerates are."

She bit into the apple with a slight crunch, chewed and swallowed it before continuing.

"There's a figurative new kid in the block which goes by the name of Ark Enterprises. They were predominantly a shipping company but slowly, they are entering the architecture and music records businesses – the two fields in which Crown Corp is a respected name. But the Ark isn't a fair player – twice they have tried to spy in onto us in the last month itself. So, stay sharp."

Kanda cleared his thought slightly.

Arise gave him an unexpected thump on his back, making him jump. "But that doesn't mean you have to be uptight! Working with Lavi is the best thing you can ever do – that guy is a freaking genius. Enjoy and learn, kiddo!"

With that, Arise skipped out of the room, leaving behind a bemused Kanda.

 _Well, time I sat down to work._

* * *

It was almost late afternoon Fou and Allen reached the Crown Corp headquarters.

"God that's HUGE!" Allen exclaimed, straining his neck to look up. The summer sun glinted off the tinted glass windows of the building, making it seem like a piece of crystal. A security guard stepped up to the driver's side.

"Here to meet Mr. McLean. I've an appointment," Fou drawled, her fingers beating a tattoo on the steering wheel.

"Please wait a second, ma'am," said the guard before mumbling away something into his walkie-talkie. A few seconds later he asked, "Can I have an identification proof each of Ms. Fou La and Mr. Allen Walker?"

Mumbling away something about "paranoid aliens", Fou grudgingly handed the guard her Driver's License and Allen's Laurenze ID card. After checking it, he waved them in.

After parking the car in the basement Fou and Allen were thoroughly frisked, Fou's briefcase checked both manually and by the x-ray machines before they were given the visitor's pass for the 19th floor.

"Just swipe your pass in the elevator it will take you up to the nineteenth floor," said the female guard, a slightly sheepish look on her face.

"Isn't your security overkill?" Fou commented casually but Allen could see the sharp glint in her green eyes. Now that he thought about it, the building might be Crown Corp's headquarters but still, it was as if the security _expected_ them to have some ulterior motive.

"Top floor orders, ma'am," the guard replied, touching her cap and tilting her head in parting.

Fou looked thoughtful throughout their elevator ride up to nineteenth floor.

* * *

Nineteenth floor was _nothing_ like Allen had imagined a top-shot NYC HQ to be. The corridors were packed with people rushing about with files, some even precariously balancing cups of coffee on their folder mountains. Allen had consciously forgone his wig and glove but none of the people spared him a second glance.

" _Chang, I need Alistair Strong's recommendation file on my desk ASAP!"_

" _WHERE IS MIRANDA?! THE POLAND SHIPMENT IS STUCK, DAMMIT!"_

" _Can someone refill the coffee machine?"_

It looked like a subway station.

"Ms. La, Mr. Walker! Here!"

Allen and Fou whipped around to find the source of the call. A man of medium height dressed sharply in a tan suit, dark brown tie and shoes with coffee complexion and a healthy dose of freckles came up to them. He had a genial, easy smile and his sharp turquoise eyes twinkled behind his rectangular thick framed glasses.

"I am Leslie McLean," he said, slightly loudly to make himself heard over the chaos. "I'm sorry, the secretarial floors are always chaotic – especially when it's the shipping log check month."

"Don't mind us," Fou shrugged, following him. Allen followed suit, slightly awed. It was the first time ever he had been in a crowd and not been the centre of unwanted attention. He followed them as he tried not getting hit by a folder or memo.

"Since we have businesses in several countries," McLean explained, waving his hand around the chaos as he nimbly side-stepped a harassed looking bespectacled girl who was running with an armful of folders as if her life was on the line.

"We have one dedicated month per year where we review all the records across the world for discrepancies, deviations and mismatches. And this is the last week so the mania has finally hit the frenzy peak."

McLean opened a door to the right and slipped in. As he closed the door after them, the decibel levels dropped to nothingness.

"Primary reason why we have soundproofed our offices," he shrugged. It was a medium-sized cabin with glass walls along one end which opened out to the central "O" which let in a muted version of New York sun through the skylight. In front of the glass paneled wall was large mahogany work desk complete with a plush work chair and two guest chairs. He motioned them to be seated as he walked around the work-desk.

After being seated, McLean rested his chin on his steepled fingers and asked, "What is the name of your mother, Allen?"

* * *

 **A/N:** The anime hasn't talked much about Allen's mom and dad, right? I am thinking of a nice mystery filling to this angsty-romance chocoball - what say, folks? Also, I think I like Xiu Ai - I might keep her as a recurring rather than a guest appearance, what say? She gives me the impression of a Mommie Tigress all set to protect her cubs from the Big Bad World. Plus Allen needs someone motherly on his side since he's not around Lenalee anymore.

The next chapter is tentatively titled " **The Fateful Encounter** ". Will our protagonists be meeting up at last? Or would it be something completely different? Find out in the next chappie!

Did I say that I love reviews?


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